In the typical manufacture of sanitizing compositions, the ingredients are blended in large mixing vessels, packaged into disposable plastic containers and shipped via sales distribution channels to the end user, often hundreds of miles distant from the source facility. These products often sit for months within the distribution system prior to delivery and application. Due to this aging, the chemistries that can be utilized within these compositions are limited to those having long shelf life stability. Therefore, many other admixtures and ingredients cannot be used (e.g., superior antimicrobial agents having limited shelf life).
A number of prior art methods include the transportation of fluids for mixing and distribution at the point of use. Van Wormer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,314, discloses a chemical dispenser on a vehicle which dispenses fluids at the site of use. Rakucewicz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,693 also discloses a dispensing apparatus which delivers a plurality of syrups for use in soft drinks concurrently from a truck.
Sollander et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,181, discloses an apparatus for dispensing a foamed camouflage material for application to the ground or to fill containers which cover a vehicle. The foaming apparatus is attached to a vehicle for easy transportation or for camouflage of that vehicle. A water based foaming liquid passes through a housing where air is blown via a fan and the liquid is ejected through a nozzle resulting in a foamed material. Dyes are added to obtain the desired camouflage pattern. Sollander et al. uses an automatic coloring control means enabling a continuous adjustment of the color of the foam to that of the surroundings. The color control means includes photometers. A signal is fed back from the photometers to a computer, which in response to the comparison of these colors, controls the supply of different coloring agents to the foaming liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,720 to Mayberry discloses a vehicular dispensing apparatus for dispensing two part coating compositions such as paints. The vehicle is a portable cart. The two or more coating compositions are delivered to the site of use separately on the cart and then mixed at the site of use. Computer control is provided for the mixing and dispensing operations including custom formulations and quantities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,366 to Czeck et al. discloses an apparatus for dispensing chemical concentrates at a point of use. The apparatus includes an axial manifold having a plurality of inlet ports extending radially toward the center of the manifold. Control valves are located at the inlet ports to control the supply of chemical concentrates into the manifold and the chemicals are drawn into the manifold by operation of a positive displacement pump. The chemical concentrates are mixed at a filling station. A microprocessor controller manages the operation of the dispensing apparatus and receives information from a flowmeter situated downstream of the manifold. The apparatus may be used to form dilute aqueous chemical compositions, or mixtures of chemical concentrates without added water.
However, these patents do not teach the transport of liquid compositions which may then be mixed at the point of use, especially liquids that may be either incompatible when mixed or have a short shelf life once mixed.
There is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for transporting concentrated chemicals to a site of use separately, determining the composition required at that specific site of use, mixing the concentrated chemicals to arrive at the determined composition, and delivering the determined composition to the site of use.